“We’ve got problems.”
She snapped, “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“How about this? Two alphas and three alphas-in-waiting—one of them that dickhead, Freddy—just officially pledged to mate you at a ceremony which is to take place in one month’s time.”
She stopped in her tracks. “What? We don’t have time for this.”
“I know. I tried telling my dad that, but he just snarled and snapped at me. Of course, that was after we’d just found out that you apparently ripped through the Torn-Fang pack after allying with some rogue coven. Really, Riley? You’re that desperate for a date you’re stooping to shacking up with sorcerers?”
“Gimme a break. That’s stupid.”
“Yet, we have some eyewitnesses who saw the whole thing.”
“Oh, good. Let’s go question them.”
“No can do. Not until all the alphas present and a few members of the mage council get a crack at the witnesses. You are to keep your distance,” Max warned.
“Why?”
“Because we need them alive to question them. And you look ready to kill first and ask questions later.”
“Tell me. Are they Torn-Wolf dires, these witnesses?”
“Yes and no. One is a Wildridge dire. The two Torn-Wolf are the last of their pack, apparently.”
“Bullshit. A few got away with the sorcerer when we found them outside the city.”
“We?”
“Kraft, Orion, and me. Oh, and Paz—I mean, Shadow.” She glanced at her bag. The kitten riding like a king amused her, soothing her need to rip off someone’s head. “Are we really going to see your mom and Ivan?”
“Ivan, yeah. The farther you are from Freddy, the better.”
“He still hates to be called that.”
“I know.” He snickered. Then he sobered. “He brought Antonia Wildridge with him.”
“The same Antonia who stole the artifact out from under you?”
His lips thinned. “The same. She hasn’t said anything to me. Acts as if nothing happened, and she’s safely tucked under her mother’s watchful eye while the ladies enjoy tea and cookies.”
Riley blinked. “Aunt Alice is drinking tea and eating cookies?” Had someone kidnapped her real aunt and replaced her with a fake?
“Well, more like slugging back beers and throwing axes at the Bar in between calling Beatrice Wildridge a lot of names I won’t repeat here.”
Riley grunted. “That sounds better.”
“We need to keep you away from weapons and Freddy’s family. We keep me away from Antonia so I don’t choke the life out of her. And we keep that kitten away from Ivan, who’s allergic. Let’s find a place to hide out and chat before my dad comes back.”
“Now you’re speaking my language.” She grabbed Max’s arm and rushed with him to safety. Away from prying eyes.
Unfortunately,after sharing a ton of ridiculous details about the goddess, Mormo, the six vampires, including the scary master strigoi, nothing about the Bloode Stones, and all she could remember about the weird vampire house, Riley felt talked out.
Yet her cousin kept asking question after question about Kraft, of all things.
“You say his wolf was as big as your direwolf?”
“Yeah.”
